A local Church has joined forces with a debt advice charity and its local Costa Coffee branch to offer money management skills to people in Bradley Stoke.

Bridge Community Church, which meets on Sunday mornings at Bradley Stoke Community School, will be running a free personal finance course, set up by charity Christians Against Poverty (CAP), to provide free help to people struggling with overwhelming debt.

The three-week, evening-based course will start on Wednesday 25th June at 7.30pm at Costa Coffee at the Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke.

Course leader Marc Payne said: “The course helps people learn how to budget, save money and spend money wisely. We start by writing a budget to see where our money is going, then work from there.”

Marc continued: “What’s great about this course is that course participants can get access to a members only section of the CAP website where you can do all your budgeting online. It’s got everything you want to help you get to grips with your money.”

“In the last session we talk about debt: What to do if you have debt and how to pay it off. If you want to go further, we can refer you to the charity itself who can help formulate a plan to get you debt free.”

Marc’s passion for helping people with money matters started at home: “My parents weren’t the best role models for me in terms of managing our home finances when I grew up. We didn’t really save or budget. When I got married my wife, whose family were more proactive, fell into the role of managing our family finances. I’ve seen how taking a more proactive approach can help you feel more in control of what you’ve got, and I wanted to pass on that learning to others.”

Course co-leader Jamie Finlay said: “You wouldn’t normally associate a place like Bradley Stoke with financial hardship, but below the surface, many normal families are really struggling. Rows about money are by far the biggest cause of relationships breaking down in the UK. What the CAP Money Course gives is a safe place for people to talk about money and get help before problems become too severe.”

“Holding the course in a place like Costa Coffee will provide a friendly, and hopefully relaxing environment to talk about issues that can sometimes be quite stressful. We’re passionate about keeping it local, bringing the course to the community, rather than holding it at a centre where we would expect people to travel a fair way to get there.”

There are between 8-12 places available for the free course, which starts on Wednesday 25th June at 7.30pm. To find out more, or to book your place, call 0117 2303 330 or email info@bridgechurchbristol.org.

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